Can you all tell me your own methods on finding good sounding pressings?

I want to know how to find pressings that sound really good, I want to know methods that even tell you how to know if something sounds good if it's a less popular album and has no comments on discogs to tell you the sound quality. So I'd like to know what you guys think.

 

Vinyl or CD?

 

Sorry I didn't say it mb but I meant vinyl.

 

Research, research, research. I found great sounding LPs by reading every single thing I could find about the albums I wanted. This website in particular is an outstanding resource for great info. Mastering, pressing, recording, engineering, it all adds up. In short order you begin to see who to trust. And the search engine is your friend. As are many members here & on other audiophile sites. Never be afraid to ask a stupid question, regardless of the reply. Hope this helps & happy hunting.

 

Thank you so much man! like honestly that is so helpful! I wanted to ask one question though. I was wondering if that would work for smaller less popular albums like I want to get a copy of Tracie Spencer's self titled album which is not too popular. So I was wondering if I could still do some research and find a good sounding pressing or if I should just wing it and hope the pressing I get sounds good. Thank you for your help!

 

I have had to 'wing-it' over 100 times, so sometimes ya just have to go for it. Beats blowing your money on cocaine.

 

That's ok and leaves me out. Have fun in your search.

 

Having just looked up Tracie Spencer’s album on discogs, it looks like there’s only one U.S. pressing that was done by Capitol Records. So that’s your only choice for a domestic pressing. It’s highly likely that one is of good quality as far as manufacturing goes, it’s Capitol Records after all.

You likely can’t go wrong with a German pressing, they did consistently high quality work from my own listening experience. The same will be true for Japanese pressings. However in both cases the pressings will have come from a chain beginning with a copy tape, not the original master. Depending on other steps in the process, that may or may not have an impact on the overall sound quality.

The bottom line is that this release commands low prices, so buying a few different copies and hearing for yourself wouldn’t be too costly. Of course shipping charges could add up if you cannot find an international pressing from a U.S. seller. Have fun, and best of luck finding the best version for your ears!

P.S. I haven’t ever heard of Tracie Spencer, but will definitely check out her music today!

 

Yeah I did notice there was only one U.S. Pressing, and I think that's the one I'm going with. I also noticed there was the Japanese pressing, which probably sounds good, but things like that would be better just for the collection. And there was a German pressing, that one and the Japanese version probably sound good, but the U.S. Pressing is probably the more original better sounding one.

P.S. And yes you should definitely check out Tracie Spencer. I heard of her from the 90s sitcom Family Matters and they sang Tender Kisses which is her best song. But you should definitely check out Tender Kisses first and then maybe her self titled debut. It's all good lol.